Athlon II X2 240e vs Pentium J2850

Athlon II X2 240e vs Pentium J2850 Performance Spectrum

Athlon II X2 240e

2 / 2

1,007

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium J2850

4 / 4

1,016

+0.9%

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Athlon II X2 240e vs Pentium J2850 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Athlon II X2 240e vs Pentium J2850: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon II X2 240e

2009

Why buy it

✅Costs $17 less on MSRP ($77 MSRP vs $94 MSRP).
✅Delivers 21.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 13.1 vs 10.8 PassMark/$ ($77 MSRP vs $94 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (true), unlike Pentium J2850.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,007 vs 1,016).
❌2150% higher power demand at 45W vs 2W.

Pentium J2850

2013

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 2W instead of 45W, a 43W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 10.8 vs 13.1 PassMark/$ ($94 MSRP vs $77 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon II X2 240e.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium J2850 better than Athlon II X2 240e?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon II X2 240e is ahead with a 1.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium J2850 pulls ahead with 0.9% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium J2850 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium J2850 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium J2850 comes in 22.1% more expensive on MSRP at $94 MSRP versus $77 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.9% better PassMark. Athlon II X2 240e only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2009 platform. Even with 21.0% better value on paper (13.1 vs 10.8 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on AM3.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium J2850 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2009) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon II X2 240e vs Pentium J2850 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Athlon II X2 240e

The Athlon II X2 240e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,007 points. Launch price was $35.

Pentium J2850

The Pentium J2850 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-D (2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.41 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,016 points. Launch price was $94.

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Processing Power

The Athlon II X2 240e packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Pentium J2850 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium J2850 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Athlon II X2 240e versus 2.4 GHz on the Pentium J2850 — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 240e (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.41 GHz). The Athlon II X2 240e uses the Regor (2009−2013) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium J2850 uses Bay Trail-D (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X2 240e scores 1,007 against the Pentium J2850's 1,016 — a 0.9% lead for the Pentium J2850. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 240e vs 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium J2850.

Feature	Athlon II X2 240e	Pentium J2850
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.8 GHz+17%	2.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+16%	2.41 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Regor (2009−2013)	Bay Trail-D (2013)
PassMark	1,007	1,016

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X2 240e uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium J2850 uses FCBGA1170 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon II X2 240e	Pentium J2850
Socket	AM3	FCBGA1170
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	1333	—
Max RAM Capacity	16	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Athlon II X2 240e) / not specified (Pentium J2850). Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 240e rivals Pentium E5400.

Feature	Athlon II X2 240e	Pentium J2850
Integrated GPU	No	—
IGPU Model	None	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	true	—

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon II X2 240e was priced at $77, while the Pentium J2850 came in at $94. On launch pricing ($77 vs $94), Athlon II X2 240e was $17 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II X2 240e delivers 13.1 pts/$ vs 10.8 pts/$ for the Pentium J2850 — making the Athlon II X2 240e the 19% better value option.

Feature	Athlon II X2 240e	Pentium J2850
MSRP	$77-18%	$94
Performance per Dollar	13.1+21%	10.8
Release Date	2009	2013

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